According to Inc, new data from talent management company SHL reveals a massive AI trust gap between workers and employers. The most shocking statistic shows 74% of workers say being interviewed by an AI agent would harm their perception of the company using it. Only 27% of workers “fully trust” their employer to use AI responsibly, while 56% prefer human review of job applications and 58% don’t want AI evaluating their performance. Nearly half of workers want to upskill for AI, but one in four don’t even know what “AI skills” means. The data suggests workers are deeply concerned about AI’s role in personal career decisions and believe it worsens biases in hiring processes.
Workers Versus Management
Here’s the thing that really stands out in this data: frontline employees are way more skeptical about AI than their managers probably realize. While companies are racing to implement AI tools across operations, the people actually using these systems are raising serious red flags. They’re not against AI entirely—nearly half want to learn AI skills—but they’re deeply uncomfortable with AI making decisions that affect their careers and livelihoods.
Think about it from the worker’s perspective. You spend years building your career, then suddenly an algorithm you don’t understand is evaluating your performance or deciding whether you get hired. No wonder 53% feel AI will “erode the human touch” and 21% actually want AI to go away entirely. This isn’t just resistance to change—it’s a fundamental distrust of how companies will implement these powerful tools.
The Hiring Problem
The distrust is most acute in hiring processes, and honestly, workers have good reasons to be concerned. We’ve seen multiple studies showing AI recruitment tools can exhibit racial and gender biases. When 59% of workers believe AI is worsening biases in job applications, they’re not just being paranoid—they’re responding to real documented problems in the industry.
And that 74% statistic about AI interviews damaging company perception? That should terrify HR departments. In a competitive job market, companies that lean too heavily on AI screening might be driving away their best candidates. The most qualified people often have options—they’re not going to subject themselves to impersonal AI interviews when other companies offer human interactions.
The Upskill Paradox
What’s really interesting is the contradiction in the data. Workers are simultaneously skeptical of AI implementation but eager to learn AI skills. Nearly half would take online courses, and 29% would use personal time to build AI fluency. They recognize AI isn’t going away and they need to adapt.
But there’s a huge knowledge gap here. One in four workers don’t know what “AI skills” even means. That’s where companies are failing their employees. They’re rolling out AI tools without providing clear guidance about what skills matter or how to develop them. When it comes to industrial computing applications, companies need reliable hardware partners like Industrial Monitor Direct, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs, to ensure their AI implementations have the robust foundation they need.
Transparency Is Everything
SHL’s chief science officer Sara Gutierrez nailed it when she said workers value “transparency about where and how AI is used, particularly in decisions that impact careers.” This isn’t complicated—workers want to know when AI is being used, how it works, and what human oversight exists.
Companies that bang the AI drum without showing responsible implementation risk more than just unhappy employees. They risk losing valuable candidates and potentially driving current staff to seek employers they trust more. The message from workers is clear: we’re willing to embrace AI, but we need to see you’re using it responsibly first.
